Children in rural communities should be taught how to use guns to teach them "respect" for firearms in later life, claims a senior Conservative MP.

Patrick Mercer, the Tory front bench spokesman for home security, also said the handgun ban in the wake of the 1996 massacre of schoolchildren at Dunblane has had "no effect" on the nation's spiralling gun crime rates.

His comments were welcomed by the shooting lobby, who said proper firearms education for young people wishing to handle guns was essential.

But anti-gun campaigners are horrified by the idea.

The latest figures show there are 3,207 active firearms certificates in the Northumbria Police area, covering 7,482 weapons other than shotguns. A further 8,577 shotgun licences are registered, accounting for 21,136 pieces.

On BBC Scotland's Good Morning programme, Mr Mercer advocated teaching children to handle "non-lethal" weapons such as air rifles as a prelude to using shotguns in later life.

He denied making any mention during a party fringe meeting of children being taught to use handguns.

He said: "The only thing I said was that in rural areas it made sense for things like airguns and BB guns to be handled by children so that in later life, when they have access to shotguns, they knew how to handle them safely and with respect."

Yesterday, Mr Mercer's claims were hailed as "common sense" by the British Association for Shooting and Conservation, which represents shooters and gamekeepers nationally.

"Nobody should be forced to pick up a gun if they don't wish to, but we would certainly support the notion that if someone is likely to use a firearm in later life, it makes sense to teach them properly when they are young," said BASC spokesman Simon Clarke.

As a keen supporter of the countryside and its way of life, Northumberland mum-of-two Yorkie Renwick says she wouldn't have a problem with her sons, George, aged eight, and six-year-old Freddie, learning to shoot.

"If either of my sons wanted to learn to handle a firearm then I would support them wholeheartedly, because education is paramount," she said.

But a spokeswoman from pressure group Gun Control Network said: "Parents around the country are expressing their concern about the prospect of their children being invited to shoot and to develop an interest in guns.

"In particular, we urge the government to introduce a minimum age limit of 18 for all guns, and to introduce a ban on all look-alike weapons, be they toys or replicas."